DIY PVC Parallettes for CrossFit Workouts

As you might have seen in our “Murph” post and a few of my weekly pregnancy recaps, I’m currently doing push-ups with the assistance of PVC parallettes. They allow me to feel more secure in reaching full-depth without getting my growing belly close to the ground. We have a set at the gym, but over the past few weeks I really wanted to tackle making a set for the house. Why not? They are inexpensive and easy to make, and push-ups are something I can easily do more of at home. Plus, these DIY PVC Parallettes go nicely with my kettlebell and there are an infinite number of workouts I can do on the fly at home with them.

What’ you’ll need:

1 – 10′ x 1.5″ PVC pipe

1 – Can PVC cement

4 – 1.5″ 90 degree elbow joints

4 – 1.5″ T joints

8 – 1.5″ PVC caps

1 piece of sandpaper (optional)

Rubber gloves (optional)

Cut the PVC to the appropriate sizes:

The first thing you have to do is cut the 1.5-inch PVC down into pieces. You will need:

8 – 5″ pieces

4 – 8″ pieces

2 – 24″ pieces

Most hardware stores (Ace, Lowes, Home Depot) will cut the PVC for you if you know the measurements. If they don’t cut it perfectly straight, it’s not a big deal, just make sure the ends are nice and clean and sanded if you’d like (optional). We used the sandpaper to rough up all the edges for gluing, as it gives the glue a better surface to stick to.

Build the top:

Starting with the central horizontal piece (where your hands go), add glue/cement to the outside of one end, around 1 inch in depth. Add glue to on 90 degree elbow joint and attach it to the end. Repeat the process for the other side and lay the glued piece on the ground to be sure it is flat. You can also use a level to do this, but it’s not essential.

Build the supports:

To assemble the remaining pieces into the supports, complete the following:

Sand one end of 2 5″ PVC pieces, and glue caps to one end

Sand one end of 1 8″ PVC pieces, and glue into top of 90 degree T-joints

Take each of the capped 5″ PVC pieces from #1, and sand and glue into the sides of each T-Joint from #2

Assemble the Parallette:

To complete assembly, you need to connect the top with your supports. Sand and glue each base into the 90 degree elbow joints on either end of the support. I would do one at a time, then check to be sure it lies flat and dries before moving on to the next.

Repeat this process for the 2nd parallette.

Now I chose to go the PVC route, but if you are worried about the strength of the PVC because you’re packing more size/muscle than I am I’d go the solid metal/steel route. I wanted mine to be light and easy on the wood floors, but if yours are purely going to be in the gym, then they may be the better fit.